Rubber boot



(No Model.)

s. J. HARRIS,

, RUBBER BOUT. I No. 542,961. Patented July 16, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

SAMUEL J. HARRIS, OF MILLVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOWILLIAM F. STEINBACH, OF MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT.

RUBBER BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,961, dated July 16,1895.

Application filed December 8, 1894. Serial No. 531,276. (N model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Millville, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRubber Boots; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact. description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a side view ofbootbroken away to show the dilferent parts. Fig. 2 is a section of booton line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section through rear portion of boot online y y, Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of thatclass of rubber boots which are provided with combination rubber andleather soles, and more particularly to provide an improved constructionof solo, together with an improved foundation for same, whereby the soleis rendered perfectly waterproof and secure. A further object is toprovide means for strengthening the foot of the boot.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and combi nation of parts, all as hereinafter described,and pointed out in the appended claims.

In carrying out the manufacture of my improved boot it is first lastedin an ordinary manner, the leg-lining (indicated by the numeral 1 in theaccompanying drawings) being lapped at the back of the boot-tree and theedges thereof joined by means of a rubbersized strip 2, which isfastened to one of the edges of the lining and lapped upon the other,-forming a seam at the back, running from the top of the lining to thebottom of the tree. The lower inside edge of the lining is covered witha rubber cement, which unites said lining to the under surface of thelasting or inner sole of the boot upon which it is lapped. This innersole may be made of any fabric suitable for the purpose, its outersurface being covered with a rubber compound for the purpose of securingthe other parts which lining over the instep of the boot.

come in contact therewith. The foot-lining 3 is then put in place, theedge thereof which connects with the le -lining being attached to arubber-sized strip at, similar to that used for uniting the edges of theleg-lining and which is lapped upon and secured to the le The loweredges of this boot-lining are connected to the under surface of theinner sole, being fitted to the shape of the foot. The boot is nowtrimmed in the usual manner, the heel-stay and counter-form being laidover the lining at the back of the boot with the bottom edges thereoflapping onto the bottom of the boot over the edge of the leg-lining. Astrip 6 of rubber is now laid overthe seam at the back, running from thetop to the bottom of the boot. A strip 7 of rubber-sized cloth is thenrun around the front of the boot, commencing at the lower side of thecounter-form and extending aroundthe'toe and back to the counter-form atthe opposite side, its purpose being to add strength to the edge of theboot. The straps or loops 8 are then attached. A side stay 9 is alsolaid upon the leg-lining above the counter-form at each side at thecenter and extending up toward the straps or loops. The usualankle-pieces 10 are now applied and the boot is ready for the leg-cover11. This cover is laid upon the front of the lining and is drawn tightlyaround the boot, the seam at the back being made to lie over thelining-seam. The whole is then rolled solidly together. I now take anarrow continuous strip 12 of rubber,-which I extend entirely around thelower portion of the boot, with a seam at the back, its lower edgelapping upon the bottom of the boot and over the foot-lining and thebottom of the leg-cover. This strip gives great strength to the wholefoot of the boot, especially when combined with the improvedcombination-sole presently to be described. After the boot has beenbuilt thus far the usual vamp-lining 13 is applied, being laid upon theupper part of the foot and lapped upon the leg-cover, after which itisdrawn tightly over the sides and toe portions of the foot, lappingover the strip 12 upon the bottom of the boot, thus strengthening andholding the foot portion in shape. The counter 14c is now applied withits forward edges coming over the vamp-lining and the sides of the bootand its bottom edge lapping over the bottom of the boot and the strip12. The whole is now thoroughly rolled. I now apply the middle sole 15,made of canvas or cloth saturated with a rubber solution and coated, inthe usual way. This sole is to be of sufiicient thickness to make thebottom of the boot perfectly flat. This sole coversin the inner sole andthe edges of the parts lapping thereon and is solidly rolled in place.The ragged edge is then'skived off around the heel. The vamp 15 is nowapplied in the usual manner.

The bottom of the boot being perfectly flat, the ordinary filling-soleneed not be employed. The vertical edges of the vamp lap the counter,forming the side seams 17. The whole vamp is now rolled and trimmed onthe bottom tightly against the middle sole. The seams are now allfalse-stitched andthe boot is ready to receive the rubber sole 18. Thisrubber sole is made of three separate parts of similar shape, the upperpart a and the lower part cbeingof rubber, while the intermediate part bis made of canvas having a coating of rubber cement worked through it togive it great adhesive properties. These three parts are cementedtogether and rolled or pressed and the sole is then cemented to themiddle sole, forming a firm foundation for the leather sole. This sole18 has its edges extended beyond the sides and toe of the boot, forminga flange or welt 20, to which the leather sole isto be stitched. Theupper part or heel and shank portions of this sole 18 are not extendedbeyond the edge of the boot. The entire sole so formed is now rolledsolidly to the bottom of the boot, making the entire boot perfectlywater-tight. The boot is now read y to be vulcanized.

After vulcanization the bottom of the sole is coated with cement and asteel shank-piece 21 applied and fastened suitably, (this shankpiecemay, if preferred, be applied before the sole 18,) after which theleather sole 22 is coated with cement upon the unfinished side'andapplied to the rubber sole and rolled tightly thereto. The top portionof the leather sole is then stitched to the extension edge or welt 20,which leaves no holes or punctures through the bottom and prevents anychance of leakage should the leather pull off or become worn out. Insuch event the old tap may be cut off and a new one applied.

The heel and shank portions of the sole back of where the extension edge20 stops is nailed or stitched through the bottom into a thin leatherinsole 24, which gives a substantial body for the stitching. The leatherheel 25 is then built up and finished in the same manner as in anordinary leather boot.

The leather sole is formed in one solid piece.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rubber boot, having an insole, a middle sole cemented to saidinsole, and formed of canvas or cloth saturated with arubber solution,this sole being of sufficient thickness to fill the hollow of the insoleand render the bottom flat, a rubber sole cemented to the middle soleand made up of an upper and a lower section of rubber and anintermediate portion of canvas saturated with a rubber compound, thewhole being cemented and rolled, or pressed, together, and a leathersole stitched to a welt of said rubber sole, except at the heel portionwhich is stitched through the said sole to the inside of the boot,substantially as specified.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a rubber boot having the strip 12running continuously around the bottom thereof underneath the vamp andcounters and lapped at its lower edge upon the insole, a middle sole ofcanvas saturated with rubber cement and coated with a rubber compound, arubber sole built up of an upper and lower thickness of rubber and anintermediate thickness of rubber saturated canvas, the three thicknessesbeing cemented and rolled together, said rubber sole having an edgeextension beyond the boot, a leather sole stitched to said extension anda leather heel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL J. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

F. E. Soorr, A. J. Guns.

